Denying desisting from their stated position on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Left parties on Tuesday asserted that they were ready for "any eventuality" even as they continued their engagement with the government to break the impasse over the issue.
After holding discussions with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament chamber, Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Sitaram Yechury and party floor leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia said the government could hold informal talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, but should not deliberate on the specific protocol.
"We have no objection to the government initiating talks with the IAEA on September 14, but should not discuss India specific safeguards, vital to operationalising the deal," Yechury told newspersons.
"If any specific talks are held, the government may have to face complications," he added.
The Left leaders put forward the argument that being a general body member of the agency, India could attend the meeting, but asserted that no talks regarding the country specific protocol should be initiated.
They claimed that the idea of setting up a committee or mechanism to evaluate the Hyde Act came from the "ruling leadership" only.
"We did not raise any such demand. Now the government should come up with its own suggestion," Yechury told UNI that the Congress' response was still awaited in this regard.
Party Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Mohammad Salim, while referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the country, said the Left parties never objected to the government talking to any visiting dignatary.
"What we want is that the prime minister should not make any commitment relating to the deal," Salim said pointing out that Japan is a key member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Senior Communist Party of India leader S Sudhakar Reddy made it clear that the Left will pull the plug, if the government went ahead with operationalising the deal.
"Left is not asking the government to either reject or re-negotiate the deal. What we are saying is that you should postpone it until all apprehensions and objections are removed," Reddy said adding, "This is the only way out."
"It is entirely for the Congress now how it deals with the crisis arising out of its stubborn attitude over the deal, which is being opposed by the people of the country and the majority in Parliament," claimed Salim and Reddy.
Significantly, the CPI-M has advanced its Central Committee meeting by one month in view of the ongoing 'confrontation' between the government and the Left over the nuclear deal.
CPI-M senior leader and Central Committee member Nilotpal Basu said, "The Central Committee's two-day deliberations, beginning tomorrow, will ponder over the current political scenario particularly with reference to the differences between the Left parties and the government over the 123 Agreement."
The meeting also assumes significance against the backdrop of the UPA government's growing strategic engagement with the US and Left's opposition to it, he said.
More than 80 members of the Central Committee will hold deliberations on the basis of the report of the party politburo, which in its last meeting warned the government to put on hold the operationalisation of the deal.
All four Left parties in their joint meeting on Monday made it clear to the government they would withdraw support to the UPA if it chooses to pursue the nuclear deal.
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